Kharkiv regional governor awaiting end of probe before commenting on possible lack of fortifications

The Kharkiv regional military administration is waiting for the conclusions of the investigation into the fact that Russian troops breached the state border in Kharkiv Oblast.

This is how regional governor Oleg Synegubov answered the question from Ukrinform about whether Vovchansk was sufficiently fortified.

The journalist noted that, according to the information spread online, since the liberation in 2022, Vovchansk was not sufficiently fortified or had no defense structures at all, and therefore the Russians seemingly easily entered it a second time. He asked Synegubov to comment on this.

"Let's not connect what was done with regard to the fortifications in particular, and why the Russians entered relatively easily or not easily. All the same, our soldiers met them with a fight," answered the governor.

He added that the State Bureau of Investigation is already probing this and the administration is waiting for its conclusions.

On the night of May 10, 2024, the Russians launched a new wave of offensive in Kharkiv Oblast. The Russian invasion forces tried to break through the Ukrainian defense line under the cover of armored vehicles. The Ukrainian Armed Forces sent reserve units there.

On May 22, the Verkhovna Rada voted for the creation of a temporary special commission regarding the use of budget funds for the construction of fortifications and the production of drones. The purpose of the TSC is to find out whether the works on the construction of fortifications were completed, to what extent, by whom and how budget funds were used.